DUBAI, UAE / RankWire.AI / – UAE airline flydubai has expanded its flight operations to Italy to support the rising international travel demand. According to official information from Emirates News Agency, the airline is enhancing its presence in Italy by increasing flight frequencies at key commercial hubs. Starting from July 31, 2026, the airline will operate double-daily flights connecting Dubai to Milan-Bergamo and will also strengthen its market in Naples with daily round-trip flights, as part of the updated schedule.
This schedule expansion broadens flydubai’s operational scope across Italy, which already includes three weekly flights to Catania Airport in Sicily and seasonal summer services twice a week to Olbia Costa Smeralda Airport in Sardinia, continuing until the end of August. Alongside the increased flight frequencies, the airline has announced operational modifications due to scheduled infrastructure work in Southern Italy. During maintenance at Naples International Airport, flydubai will temporarily reroute its daily service from Dubai International Airport to Salerno Costa d’Amalfi and Cilento Airport from November 1 to November 30, 2026. Flights to Naples are expected to resume on December 1, 2026, with travelers holding existing bookings automatically transferred to the Salerno route during this period.
Codeshare Agreement Enhances Passenger Connectivity via Dubai
The new routes to Milan-Bergamo and Naples continue to operate under the well-established codeshare partnership between flydubai and Emirates, the international flag carrier. This cooperation allows travelers to benefit from integrated itineraries, single-ticket options, coordinated flight schedules, and through-checked baggage handling across both airline networks. By utilizing the combined reach through Dubai’s central hub, passengers connecting from Italian airports enjoy easier access to popular long-haul destinations across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, including direct routes to Kenya, Oman, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Zanzibar.
The capacity increase aligns with broader trends in commercial aviation throughout the Middle East and Europe, where international passenger numbers have been steadily rising post-pandemic. The additional flights support growing bilateral trade, investment, and leisure tourism between the United Arab Emirates and Italy. Providing double-daily flights to Milan-Bergamo increases seat availability for business travelers heading to Italy’s key financial and industrial hub. Meanwhile, daily flights to Southern Italy meet the rising seasonal demand from tourists visiting historic cultural attractions along the Amalfi Coast.
Ghaith Al Ghaith, flydubai’s CEO, commented on the network growth, emphasizing that Naples and Milan have become vital gateways in the airline’s European route network. He stressed that maintaining consistent regional access is a priority and reaffirmed the company’s long-term commitment to improving connectivity to underserved markets. Al Ghaith noted that market data supports the strategy of increasing frequencies to accommodate the surge in passenger flows between the United Arab Emirates and Italy, especially during the upcoming winter travel season.
Major airports offer direct access for travelers in Italy
Jeyhun Efendi, flydubai’s Divisional Senior Vice President of Commercial Operations and E-commerce, highlighted that the focus on expanding direct flights to Naples and Milan-Bergamo underscores the strategic importance of the Italian market. Efendi pointed out that nonstop connections enable international travelers to leverage the combined network of flydubai and Emirates for seamless access to key global destinations through Dubai. The airline’s operational teams and fleet allocations are fully prepared to support the increased number of daily flights, ensuring reliable service across both passenger and cargo channels.
These operational upgrades in Italy are part of flydubai’s broader fleet expansion and international network development plan. As the airline continues to add modern narrow-body aircraft to its fleet, plans are underway to further increase frequency on high-demand European routes. The expanded Italian flight schedule reinforces Dubai’s role as a major international aviation hub, facilitating smooth passenger and freight transportation between European origins and expanding markets across the Middle East, Indian Subcontinent, and East Africa.